SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Starting February 7, 2025, South Korea will prohibit medical professionals, including doctors and dentists, from prescribing narcotics such as propofol for their personal use. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced the implementation of this “Self-Prescription Ban on Medical Narcotics” on January 22. The new regulation, aimed at [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on October 15 that it will conduct a comprehensive audit of 1,000 medical clinics that handle propofol, a powerful sedative, on average more than once a day. The audits will run from November 17 through January of next year. City officials cited the increasing misuse [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Actor Yoo Ah-in has been under investigation for illegal use of propofol, an anesthetic medication, according to police officials Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s drug investigation unit called in Yoo on Monday to question him about use of propofol for non-medical purposes, which constitutes a violation of the [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong was fined 70 million won (US$60,055) Tuesday for illegally using propofol, an anesthetic medication, dozens of times over a period of years. The Seoul Central District Court also ordered an additional forfeiture of 17 million won as it convicted Lee of violations of the [...]
SEOUL, April 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Police said Thursday they have closed a preliminary probe into allegations that a daughter of the Samsung chairman took propofol shots illegally, citing lack of evidence. For the past year, the police had probed the allegations surrounding Lee Boo-jin, the eldest daughter of Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, after a [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Prosecutors have launched an investigation into Samsung heir-apparent Lee Jae-yong’s suspected drug use, while the top conglomerate has flatly denied the allegation. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office began the probe after a whistleblower reported the case to the state anti-corruption watchdog, demanding an investigation into the allegation, according [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Police said Thursday that they launched a preliminary probe into a plastic surgery clinic in Seoul where Lee Boo-jin, a daughter of Samsung Group patriarch Lee Kun-hee, was allegedly given propofol on a regular basis. Investigators from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the public health center in Gangnam [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – Going forward, pharmaceutical firms, hospitals, medical professionals and all other actors that deal with narcotics and psychotropic drugs will be required to maintain a detailed electronic log regarding their use. The government announced February 9 a legal revision detailing this stipulation will begin to be enforced starting in May. [...]
SEOUL, June 2 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent study showed that smokers or those exposed to second-hand smoke require more anesthetic and painkillers during surgical operations than non-smokers, hinting that exposure to smoking can hinder anesthesia and pain control. According to a May 30 report by Science Daily, Erdogan Ozturk of Bezmialem Vakif University in [...]